Mental Factors of the Mind base\: A Practical Compass (Second Edition) (with over 30,000 additional words, reorganized)
Section Four: The Mental Factor of Volition (Si)
I. The Connotation of the Manas' Constant Scrutinizing and Deliberating
The manas possesses the intrinsic nature of constant scrutinizing and deliberating. "Constant" refers to perpetuity and permanence; the nature of scrutinizing deliberation perpetually accompanies the manas. As long as the manas exists, it scrutinizes and deliberates upon all dharmas. The manas of sentient beings has never ceased since beginningless kalpas; only upon attaining the fruition of the Śrāvaka Arhat or the Pratyekabuddha is one capable of extinguishing it. Apart from this, the manas of other sentient beings remains unextinguished throughout future lifetimes up to Buddhahood and even beyond. Thus, the manas exists permanently, compelling the eighth consciousness to ceaselessly manifest all phenomena of the world. This indestructible nature of the manas is called "constant" (heng). Its deliberating nature also accompanies the manas moment by moment in its active functioning, never ceasing. This is the constancy of the manas.
"Scrutinizing" (shen) means to examine, investigate, appraise, and judge. It also represents the nature of doubt, seeking to clarify a certain situation or understand a certain principle. Because it cannot know for certain and harbors doubt, it needs to scrutinize and deliberate, judging what a dharma truly is, whether it is genuinely correct and true, or whether it constitutes a certain situation. This mental activity is called "scrutinizing." In worldly affairs, annual audits, inspections, appraisals, interrogations, and inquiries all embody this meaning of "shen." The manas possesses the intrinsic nature of scrutiny. Without scrutiny, it cannot make choices or decisions. It is constantly engaged in examination, consideration, and appraisal; only after achieving clarity can it finally make a decision.
"Deliberating" (siliang) means that the manas weighs, selects, chooses, considers, investigates, measures, plans, and discriminates all dharmas. It weighs what the content and connotation of a dharma are, how it truly is, whether it is beneficial to oneself, what is the right way to act, how to fulfill wishes and achieve goals. Only after this can it proceed to select and choose. Therefore, the manas has a deliberative nature. Only after deliberation can the manas, based on the results of its deliberation, make a decision—to accept or reject—and then direct the six consciousnesses to undertake corresponding bodily, verbal, and mental actions to achieve the goal. Consequently, the eighth consciousness inevitably revolves around the manas's deliberation and choices, complying and cooperating to give rise to all phenomena.
II. The Decisive Role of the Manas's Constant Scrutinizing and Deliberating
The "scrutinizing" aspect of the manas's constant scrutinizing and deliberating reveals the mental activities of the manas and also unveils the role it plays. This indicates that the manas is not merely a useless ornament; it is a dynamic consciousness with a crucially decisive function.
The manas scrutinizes every dharma it encounters; it scrutinizes all dharmas discerned by the six consciousnesses. If the scrutiny passes, it makes a decision and acts. So, what role does the manas play in Chan meditation? What role does it play in severing the view of self? What role in realizing the mind and seeing the nature? What role in realizing all dharmas? In all these, it plays a decisive role.
All dharmas must pass the scrutiny of the manas. If the manas has not scrutinized and approved them, they cannot be processed. From this, the leading position and sovereignty of the manas are evident. When the manas scrutinizes, it activates its own conscious activity, continuously considering, deliberating, and choosing. It does not completely follow the views and opinions of the six consciousnesses; it does not immediately accept whatever the six consciousnesses discern. Therefore, everything perceived by the six consciousnesses must be made utterly clear to the manas. If the manas is not clear, the scrutiny fails, it cannot pass, and the manas cannot make a decision. Severing the view of self and realizing the mind and seeing the nature must all undergo the scrutiny and examination of the manas. If the manas does not agree, one cannot sever the view of self nor realize the mind and see the nature. The severing of the view of self and the realization of the mind by the mental consciousness alone are merely its own understanding and belief; if the master (the manas) does not agree, it doesn't count.
How can the manas itself arrive at a result or answer? The mental consciousness should analyze and contemplate less, allowing the manas itself to deliberate and consider more. This is the most effective way. Once the mental consciousness knows the answer, it no longer wishes to investigate, and the manas has little opportunity to delve into it. In this case, realization is forever impossible. Therefore, if the answer to realizing the mind is casually inquired about or spoken of, the manas cannot exert effort, making realization impossible. The same applies to the content of severing the view of self; one should not ask the master to explain in excessive detail. If the mental consciousness already knows everything, the manas cannot think further, making severing the view of self very difficult.
The "deliberating" (si) in the manas's constant scrutinizing and deliberating means to deliberate, consider, and discriminate. "Measuring" (liang) means to measure, evaluate, distinguish, and consider. The mental activities of the manas's scrutinizing, deliberating, and measuring are extremely profound and subtle, difficult to detect and observe. Yet, its conscious activity is still very powerful, possessing a regal momentum, occupying a dominant and irreplaceable position in the choice of all dharmas.
III. The Deliberating and Choosing Function of the Manas
The constant scrutinizing and deliberating nature of the manas has operated this way since beginningless kalpas. It always clings to the notion of "self," constantly scrutinizing and deliberating on what is most beneficial to the self, how to achieve its own goals, and fulfill its own wishes. It perpetually weighs all encountered dharmas, deliberating on how to accept or reject them. After deliberation, it decides to accept or reject and to act, but it requires the six consciousnesses as tools to act. The manas itself cannot act; it can only direct the six consciousnesses to create bodily, verbal, and mental actions, with the eighth consciousness cooperating moment by moment. Only after the manas subdues the clinging to self and transforms consciousness into wisdom does its deliberative and weighing nature regarding the self diminish, and it no longer always deliberates and chooses centered around its own selfish interests.
When the manas decides to create a certain dharma, the eighth consciousness is aware of it at every moment and then complies with it. Based on the karmic seeds, it outputs corresponding consciousness seeds, generating the six consciousnesses, and bodily, verbal, and mental actions are thus created. Therefore, all bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses necessarily comply with the manas. If occasionally they do not comply with the mental activities of the manas, when the manas's habits are strong, it will inevitably feel agitated and irritable. Only by subduing the manas can bodily, verbal, and mental actions become pure. If the manas is not subdued, bodily, verbal, and mental actions cannot be pure. If the manas does not change, the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses will not change, karmic actions and karmic seeds cannot change, and the cycle of birth and death remains unbroken.
On what basis does the manas deliberate? In other words, what is the content of its deliberation? The manas itself is consciousness; possessing the nature of consciousness, it has a perceiving aspect (darsanabhaga). The perceiving aspect operates mainly in the form of mental factors: attention (manaskara), contact (sparsa), feeling (vedana), perception (samjna), and volition (cetana). The objects perceived by the manas's perceiving aspect are the perceived aspects (nimittabhaga), that is, the objects and content of attention, contact, feeling, perception, and volition. All these perceived aspects are images manifested by the eighth consciousness based on the essential object (vastu). After the manas contacts these images, it can activate its deliberative nature and then decide how to act and process them. Additionally, the content and choices discerned by the six consciousnesses regarding the objects of the six dusts (sensory fields) are fed back to the manas. Upon receiving them, the manas also deliberates and then makes a choice.
IV. The Result of the Manas's Selective Deliberation: The Emergence of Samadhi
The manas constantly scrutinizes and deliberates based on all perceived aspects manifested by the eighth consciousness. However, during deliberation, there are priorities, urgency, focal points, primary and secondary considerations; it does not deliberate on all dharmas simultaneously. Because the manas can perceive all dharmas manifested by the eighth consciousness, only after perceiving them can it activate its deliberative nature, or it may deliberate selectively. The perceived aspects manifested by the eighth consciousness can be extremely broad; the scope of the manas's deliberation is correspondingly vast, making it difficult to fix on one place or a limited few places. This causes it great difficulty in concentration and possessing samadhi power, unless it undergoes special training. Only when the manas attends to and deliberates on a few dharmas, or when it eliminates its clinging and tendency to grasp at certain dharmas, no longer excessively grasping, can it attain samadhi, and wisdom can increase.
For example, those who cultivate the four dhyanas, the eight samadhis, and the anagamya-samadhi (samadhi of non-return) certainly have samadhi in their manas. Those who possess various samadhis also certainly have samadhi in their manas. Even those who practice non-Buddhist methods, such as qigong, yoga, and various other practices, as well as researchers and scientists in various fields, all have samadhi in their manas. Of course, the best and deepest samadhi belongs to the Buddha's manas, which is the profound, unsurpassed samadhi possessed after the manas has completely and ultimately transformed consciousness into wisdom. The manas of Bodhisattvas from the first ground (bhumi) upwards begins to transform consciousness into wisdom, possessing one or more portions of the wisdom of non-self in dharmas (dharmanairatmya-jnana). They have severed the clinging to self (atma-graha) and one or more portions of the clinging to dharmas (dharma-graha). Their tendency to grasp is greatly reduced, and the samadhi of their manas is certainly not shallow. Up to the eighth ground Bodhisattva and Buddhahood, the various samadhis are infinite and unfathomable, and the samadhi of the manas is profoundly vast. Because the manas has good samadhi power, its deliberation on dharmas is more concentrated and focused, and wisdom becomes profound and vast.
V. Which Dharmas Does the Manas Deliberate Upon?
The perceived aspects manifested by the eighth consciousness include two parts: the dust of form dharmas (rupa-dharma) and the dust of mental dharmas (citta-dharma). The manas deliberates upon both, including deliberation upon the form dust of color, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, and deliberation upon the mental dust of the six consciousness minds and mental factors. It can also deliberate upon the manas itself. When deliberating upon itself, it is the self-verifying division (pratyatmajnana) of the manas functioning presently. After realization, the manas attains great wisdom and can also deliberate upon the eighth consciousness. Many perceived aspects that the six consciousnesses cannot discern or contact can also be deliberated upon by the manas, without requiring the mental consciousness to provide information or assistance. From this, it can be seen that the scope of objects perceived by the manas is extremely broad, and the number of objects and contents it deliberates upon is immense. Therefore, it is quite difficult for it to attain samadhi, and subduing it is much more difficult than subduing the mental consciousness.
The manas's deliberation on the form dust, for example, on the physical body: relying on the eighth consciousness, it can perceive the body faculty (kaya-indriya) and thus discern its various states. It then deliberates on how to make the body faculty act and change, how to keep the body in the most comfortable and pleasing state, how to eliminate discomfort and pain in the body, how to protect the body from dangers and accidents, how to let the body rest and recover from fatigue, how to reduce the body's burden, how to make breathing smooth, etc. Also, during sleep, it deliberates on what posture to put the body in for stability and comfort; if uncomfortable, it will make the body turn over, scratch, urinate, defecate, etc. For bodily discomfort or accidents, after deliberation, it will make the six consciousnesses wake up to discern and handle them, to prevent the body from being damaged or becoming abnormal.
The manas first conducts a rough deliberation on the contacted color, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas. After deliberation, it decides whether to let the six consciousnesses discern and act in detail, or to command the six consciousnesses to avoid them, letting the body accept or evade. Some dharma dust, after being deliberated upon by the manas, the six consciousnesses lack the ability to contact and process; it can only be handled by the eighth consciousness cooperating. Therefore, after some matters are completed, the six consciousnesses are unaware and have no perception. If the manas has not completed its deliberation on a dharma dust, it will not make a choice; it will continue to deliberate incessantly, even to the point of appearing in dreams at night, but the mental consciousness may not necessarily know its significance.
This deliberative nature of the manas proceeds simultaneously with the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses, without mutual obstruction. This is the seemingly unintentional creation of bodily, verbal, and mental actions, described by people as absent-minded. Yet, this deliberation of the manas is very deep, often persistent and tenacious, difficult to detect. The diligent state of some Chan practitioners investigating a huatou (critical phrase) is like this: walking, standing, sitting, lying down, their thought is constantly on it, persistent and unrelenting, deeply suspending a huatou in their mind, penetrating to the manas—it is not the superficial thinking and analysis of the mental consciousness.
Employing the deliberative nature of the manas leads to deep realization, thus opening the treasury of wisdom. Once the manas acknowledges realization, the mental state will undergo a qualitative leap, with significant changes in body and mind, far more profound and clear than the views easily obtained by the mental consciousness. Because this is realized firsthand by the manas, not heard secondhand by the six consciousnesses from others or speculated upon, therefore one believes without doubt, the mind is shaken, and mental conduct changes. This kind of practice fundamentally resolves major issues.
The manas's deliberation on mental dharma dust involves deliberating on the six consciousnesses' discernment of the six dusts, whether the discernment is complete, whether the six consciousnesses are tired and need rest, or should continue discerning, and whether the six consciousnesses like or dislike the six dusts. After deliberation, it decides whether to make the six consciousnesses cease creating, stop the current bodily, verbal, and mental actions. Or it decides to make the six consciousnesses switch to another realm of the six dusts, shifting to different objects and contents.
The manas also has a deliberative nature regarding itself; this is part of its self-verifying division. It deliberates on whether its previous choices were correct and reasonable, whether they have been completed, and whether they need supplementation or correction. After deliberation, it may change its choice or become more firm in its decision, insisting on putting it into action and achieving the goal. The inertial force of some people's manas is very strong; those described as stubborn are like this. The manas clearly knows its previous choice was wrong and should be changed, yet it persists to the end, regardless of the outcome, lacking the wisdom to deliberate on and care for the result. Therefore, some people's manas has wisdom, while others' manas lacks wisdom; their deliberative nature differs, their decision-making power varies, and the results are vastly different.
The manas's deliberation on the eighth consciousness can only proceed based on the mental consciousness's thinking and guidance; the manas cannot automatically become aware of the eighth consciousness by itself. Because the manas's ignorance is deeply rooted, existing since beginningless kalpas; since beginningless kalpas it has been together with the eighth consciousness yet did not recognize it, even appropriating the functions of the eighth consciousness as its own. After the mental consciousness learns the principles of the eighth consciousness, it continuously influences the manas, enabling the manas to also discern the nature of the eighth consciousness. The manas will then deliberate upon and understand the nature of the eighth consciousness. If it wishes to seek and realize the eighth consciousness, it decides to engage in Chan meditation.
After realizing the eighth consciousness, through the mental consciousness's observation and contemplation of the eighth consciousness, the manas will deliberate on the eighth consciousness's function of giving rise to all dharmas, deliberate on the selflessness of the five aggregates, deliberate on the selflessness of the six consciousnesses, and also deliberate on the selflessness of the manas itself. It can then give rise to great wisdom, increasingly recognizing that the five aggregates, six consciousnesses, and the manas itself are all unreal. Thus, it can eliminate the clinging to self. It also gradually ceases to regard the functions and roles of the eighth consciousness as its own. The wisdom of the manas will become increasingly profound, its selflessness increasingly greater, ignorance increasingly diminished, and mental conduct increasingly pure and equal. After the manas transforms consciousness into wisdom, it can deliberate on the eighth consciousness alone. Regarding many dharmas, it is no longer deluded into thinking they belong to itself; its mental conduct is selfless, and its equality becomes increasingly strong.
VI. The Constancy of the Manas's Deliberation
The manas needs to deliberate on some dharmas based on the discerning nature and the content discerned by the six consciousnesses. All dharmas directly perceived (pratyaksa) by the six consciousnesses, or all dharmas indirectly perceived (paroksa), can be known by the manas. While the six consciousnesses are discerning, they simultaneously transmit the content to the manas. The manas then simultaneously knows the meaning discerned by the six consciousnesses and activates its deliberation. Whatever the six consciousnesses discern, it deliberates upon; whatever it deliberates upon, it may confirm, thus exercising sovereignty, making decisions, taking countermeasures, and then the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses are created.
Even in the absence of the six consciousnesses, the manas deliberates on all dharmas, deliberates on the objects of the six dusts. When the six consciousnesses cease, during unconsciousness or sleep, the manas still deliberates. As long as the manas exists, it constantly deliberates. It deliberates on how to know more people, events, and principles, how to activate the five aggregates, how to make the six consciousnesses continue discerning the six dusts, so that it can thereby know more dharmas.
During dreamless sleep, when all six consciousnesses have ceased, does the manas deliberate? It still deliberates. What does it deliberate upon? It deliberates upon many dharmas: whether the five aggregates body has rested well, when it should wake up, events encountered during the day, childhood events, events from past lives, future events. Any condition arising in the body may be deliberated upon; all realms manifested by the eighth consciousness may be deliberated upon, or selectively deliberated upon. Then it will decide how to handle them. The objects of the six dusts discerned by the mental consciousness during the day may also be deliberated upon; previously unresolved problems may be deliberated upon. After learning the Buddha Dharma, if the mental consciousness is diligent, the manas will also deliberate on the Buddha Dharma content learned by the mental consciousness. Therefore, during dreams, it may make the mental consciousness repeat learning or applying the Buddha Dharma. Only then does such practice of Buddha Dharma achieve certain efficacy, penetrating deep into the mind.
All dharma dust discerned by the six consciousnesses during the day fall into the manas. The manas deliberates even during sleep. When it is particularly attached, dreams appear. Although its discerning wisdom is not very detailed, it can still discern the overall picture and general situation of dharmas. If its wisdom is high, it can give rise to decisions and exercise sovereignty without excessive or deep deliberation. Because its discerning wisdom is not detailed enough, its deliberative nature correspondingly increases, involving a continuous weighing process. When wisdom power is insufficient and it cannot clearly discern immediately, it deliberates back and forth, believing it has deliberated clearly before making a choice and deciding how to act.
The manas possesses this constant deliberative nature; scrutiny is examination and deliberation. During sleep, the manas also deliberates on whether it is time for the five aggregates body to be active, whether it should wake up. If the manas does not scrutinize, it cannot exercise sovereignty or make decisions. Therefore, the manas has the nature of scrutiny and deliberation. After scrutinizing and deliberating, it can choose, take countermeasures, exercise sovereignty, and decide how bodily, verbal, and mental actions are created. This is the deliberative and decision-making nature of the manas.
VII. The Unique Deliberative Mode of the Manas (Part 1)
The "thought-free knowing mind" (li nian ling zhi xin) refers not only to the state of the mental consciousness discerning the six dusts without thought, but also to a mind that, without language and overt thinking/analysis, can still know the objects of the six dusts and dharmas beyond them. It is more agile, more concealed, deeper, more deliberative, possesses greater deliberative power, and stronger problem-solving ability—this is the manas.
The manas cannot analyze and think about the objects of the six dusts like the mental consciousness, but it has its own unique mode of deliberation, and its deliberative nature is very strong. Sentient beings primarily rely on the deliberative nature of the manas to make decisions and exercise sovereignty. If the wisdom of the mental consciousness is insufficient, it cannot observe and know the manas's unique and concealed deliberative nature. Its mode of deliberation and its "pulse" remain unknown to others and even to one's own mental consciousness. Therefore, many people misunderstand it and are perplexed by it.
The manas deliberates alone quite often. For example, one goes to sleep at night with an unresolved problem; upon opening one's eyes the next morning, the mental consciousness immediately knows what happened—the problem is solved. Many problems the mental consciousness cannot figure out or solve are set aside while one attends to other matters. Suddenly, at some unknown time, inspiration strikes: "Ah! That's it!" It figures it out, knows the solution. This is the function of the manas's deliberative nature. It deliberates secretly and silently; the mental consciousness may not necessarily know.
Although the mental consciousness temporarily abandons problems it cannot solve, ceasing to think and analyze, the manas does not give up. It constantly keeps them in mind, ponders, deliberates, and contemplates them. The mental factors of the manas are constantly operating. It does not have the overt thinking and analysis function like the mental consciousness; its function differs somewhat from the mental consciousness's thinking and analysis. But what exactly the difference is, even Bodhisattvas who have realized the tolerance of non-arising (anutpattika-dharma-ksanti) may not know much, because this content is extremely profound.
Whether the manas's deliberation is obvious or not is relative to the wisdom of the mental consciousness. The manas operates as it does; it does not intentionally conceal anything. It depends on whether the mental consciousness has the wisdom to observe and discover it. The mental activities and functioning of the eighth consciousness are also very obvious, as obvious as the functioning of the five consciousnesses and the mental consciousness. It does not deliberately hide itself; it only depends on whether the mental consciousness has strong observational wisdom. If the mental consciousness's wisdom power is not strong, it cannot even observe its own mental activities, let alone the mental activities of the manas and the eighth consciousness.
In reality, the manas deliberates upon very, very many dharmas, over an extremely broad scope. What the mental consciousness knows is only a small part. When the mental consciousness lacks wisdom, it understands nothing of the manas's deliberative nature. But regardless of whether the mental consciousness understands or not, the manas still has its own deliberative function and its own mode of deliberation. For example, the manas alone deliberates on how to resolve issues concerning the remains from past lives; the mental consciousness could never know such things. Another example: the manas enters others' dreams, or preaches Dharma to them, or requests something of them—all are actions performed by the manas alone, all involving its deliberative nature, unknown to the mental consciousness.
The dharmas the manas deliberates upon regarding the six dusts can be made known to the mental consciousness, or not. It's not a matter of "allowing" or not; it depends on whether the mental consciousness has wisdom. Often, even wise people cannot know what the manas is deliberating upon. Sometimes the mental consciousness knows the results of the manas's deliberation; sometimes it does not. In fact, most of the time, the mental consciousness does not know, due to insufficient wisdom.
After the manas deliberates and reaches a conclusion—"This matter is very important!"—important problems must be executed and resolved by the six consciousnesses. Then it must find a way to let the six consciousnesses know. If the matter is unimportant and the manas can resolve it alone, it does not specifically try to alert the mental consciousness to know. When the mental consciousness is relatively dull and lacks much awareness, the dharmas deliberated upon and conclusions reached by the manas remain unknown to the mental consciousness. Even if the mental consciousness does not know, the manas still directs the six consciousnesses to carry them out.
When there is "not a single thought arising," the mental consciousness is not producing thoughts, but the manas certainly is; the thoughts of the manas generally do not cease. During "not a single thought arising," the mental consciousness suddenly thinks of a matter and immediately gets up and goes out to handle it. This is the result of the manas's thoughts turning while the mental consciousness was not producing thoughts.
VIII. The Unique Deliberative Mode of the Manas (Part 2)
The parts already known by the mental consciousness need no further contemplation; the manas needs to deliberate silently by itself. The deliberative mode of the manas is very special, differing from the thinking of the mental consciousness. The so-called "special" means that the mental consciousness finds it extremely difficult to observe that deliberative nature and mode of the manas. Therefore, many people simply deny that the manas has thinking and contemplation activities, deny that it has any mental activities. These people are too rash, hasty, and overconfident.
During silent moments without verbal thought, the mental consciousness has ceased thinking, but the manas is working, never stopping. The mental consciousness can frequently cease thinking activities, entering a state of rest and sleep. The manas never rests; it can continuously think and deliberate on various problems, very secretly. When the manas thinks, it is very deep, difficult to observe, can consume brain energy, and cause neural fluctuations in brain waves.
Therefore, when a person is not speaking or analyzing, we must not assume that this person has no thoughts, no views, no ideas, that mental activity has ceased, and it's quiet. Not so. His manas is rapidly turning, operating, deliberating, weighing, and investigating—deeply and secretly. Afterwards, his mind has established a certain rule, has an idea, has a proposition, has made a choice, but not necessarily expressed it, not necessarily let others know. Yet, the mind truly gains strength, the attitude becomes resolute, even unshakable.
Whereas, when the mental consciousness, through thinking, analysis, and contemplation, obtains a result and makes a decision, the mind is not very resolute; it remains hesitant, unable to make up its mind, because the manas does not know and understand, doubt inevitably exists in the mind, so of course it cannot make a decision.
IX. The Difficulty in Observing the Manas's Deliberation
The deliberative nature of the mental consciousness is overt, easy to observe. The deliberative nature of the manas is covert, not easy to observe. This is because the mental consciousness has relatively strong self-reflective power. The isolated mental consciousness (mano-vijnana, not concurrent with the five senses) can observe some of the operational characteristics of the mental consciousness concurrent with the five senses (pancavijnana-kaya-samprayukta-manovijnana) and the isolated mental consciousness itself, but not all, because the mental consciousness has not transformed into wisdom. The Buddha can observe all. The wisdom of the path (marga-jnana) of Bodhisattvas on the grounds (bhumis) can observe most of it.
However, the isolated mental consciousness is obscured by afflictions, lacks sufficient samadhi power, and has not transformed consciousness into wisdom; thus, it cannot observe the operational characteristics of the manas. Therefore, it is said that the deliberative nature of the manas is concealed. In reality, for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who have transformed consciousness into wisdom, it is still easy to observe the characteristics of the manas. Concealment or revelation depends entirely on the observational wisdom of the mental consciousness, not on the manas itself.
The manas also has a self-verifying division (pratyatmajnana), possessing weak reflective ability; it can observe its own operational characteristics. But the manas cannot express them; the mental consciousness (what we call "us") thus does not know. Since the mental consciousness does not know the operational characteristics of the manas, whether the manas's reflective power is strong or weak, the mental consciousness still does not know.
Regarding things the mental consciousness does not know, many mental consciousnesses habitually deny them, saying they do not exist. Then, since the mental consciousness cannot observe the Earth's revolution and rotation, one could also say the Earth is stationary. Saying this wouldn't matter much, but it does not accord with facts. How much truth and reality can the mental consciousness of ordinary people observe? Not much. Ignorance is too much, too thick, obscurations too heavy. And the more ignorant people are, the less they admit their ignorance, the more they trust their own judgments—this is unfortunate.
X. Having the Mental Factor of Volition Does Not Imply Clinging to Dharmas
Arhats in the cessation samadhi (nirodha-samapatti) have long since eliminated the clinging to the five aggregates as self; otherwise, they could not attain the fourth fruition, much less cultivate the cessation samadhi. When Arhats cultivate to the fourth dhyana, they are already unbound by the five aggregates; they are free in birth and death, coming and going as they wish. Cultivating the cessation samadhi makes them even freer.
Arhats in the first dhyana no longer have the clinging to a person as self; they do not cling to the feeling (vedana), perception (samjna), or volition (cetana) mental factors, nor to the physical body (rupa). It is not necessary to eliminate the feeling and perception mental factors to cease clinging. Clinging or not is the functional role of the manas's mental factors as a whole; it is not necessarily the functional role of the individual mental factors of feeling, perception, or volition. The same applies to clinging to dharmas; it is the functional role of the manas's mental factors as a whole. For example, the manas in the cessation samadhi has the mental factors of attention (manaskara), contact (sparsa), and volition (cetana)—all are functional roles regarding dharmas. Whether there is clinging to dharmas or not is not the functional operation of the single volition mental factor; it is the result of the combined active operation of all mental factors.
However, the manas of all Buddhas has already eliminated clinging to dharmas. Their manas not only has the five universally associated mental factors (sarvatraga), but also the five object-determining mental factors (viniyata) and the eleven wholesome mental factors (kusalacaitasika). With so many mental factors, their clinging nature is instead eliminated. The Buddha's manas has no clinging to dharmas; the volition mental factor still operates continuously. The undefiled consciousness (amala-vijnana) discerns the volition mental factor of the manas, cooperating with the manas to manifest the immeasurable Buddha lands in the ten directions. In reality, the Tathagatagarbha can discern all the mental factors of the manas. The volition mental factor has the function of choosing. After the Tathagatagarbha discerns it, it complies with the manas's choices, cooperates with the manas to handle affairs, and presents all dharmas needed by the manas.
XI. The Basis for the Manas's Deliberation and Choice
On what basis does the manas deliberate and choose? First, the inherent experience formed since beginningless kalpas; second, the results of discernment transmitted by the six consciousnesses, which can serve as reference; then, utilizing its own experience and wisdom, it can deeply deliberate on various dharma dust realms and make correct judgments and choices. The prerequisite is still that the manas grasps relatively few dharma dusts—that is, when it possesses a certain level of samadhi power—then its judgments and choices are more wise. The deeper the samadhi, the more prominent the role of the manas, the clearer, faster, and more efficient its deliberation, and the higher its wisdom. Having samadhi can aid the manas's discernment and deliberative nature. When the consciousness seeds (vijnana-bija) of the manas are less diverted and concentrated, its discerning power becomes strong, discerning wisdom increases, and wisdom can fully manifest. Realizing fruitions and enlightenment, realizing all Buddha Dharma and worldly dharmas are all like this.
The manas has selectivity when facing many realms; this is its deliberative and choosing nature. What does it base its choices on? The manas has discerning wisdom; it can know whether a dharma is important or not, so it chooses based on whether the dharma is beneficial or important to itself. The manas has different degrees of clinging to different dharmas. Why the difference? Because it knows which dharmas are beneficial to itself and which are important.
Seeds cannot force the manas to cling. For example, after an Arhat's manas severs clinging, it loses interest in worldly dharmas; even if the seeds flow forth, it still chooses not to see, not to hear, not to think—the mind has no thoughts, no aspirations. Why does the manas make the mental consciousness clearly discern some dharmas? Still because the manas has an intention and interest; only then does the Tathagatagarbha cooperate to give rise to the mental consciousness to focus on and discern those dharmas in detail.
XII. How the Mental Consciousness Hands Problems to the Manas for Deliberation
After the mental consciousness contemplates a problem, generally understanding where the problem lies, only the solution remains. At this point, it can hand the problem over to the manas for deliberation. Initially, when one is unskilled in this method of transferring problems, lacking technique, the process is like this. After the method is mastered, the manas can directly enter a deep deliberative mode. After the mental consciousness clarifies the ins and outs of the problem, it tells the manas this is very important, must be clarified, then deeply suspends the key point of the problem in the mind, and hands it over to the manas. The manas will continuously deliberate until a result is obtained. Often, while the mental consciousness is contemplating, the manas is also deliberating. The better the samadhi and the more focused the mind, the more and deeper the manas participates. And when the mental consciousness has not figured out a result, the manas does not give up; it deliberates alone, and a result may emerge at any time.
XIII. Does the Manas Have Thoughts When Deliberating?
When the manas constantly scrutinizes and deliberates, are there any thoughts in the mind? The manas has dharmas it thinks of (nian) before it deliberates and scrutinizes; first there is thought (nian), then deliberation and scrutiny. Without thought (nian), there is no mental activity; nothing to scrutinize or deliberate upon. At this time, the manas is pure. When the manas is not subdued, its tendency to grasp is heavy; thoughts in the mind are very numerous. Therefore, the mind constantly, endlessly deliberates, contemplates, scrutinizes, judges, and weighs. If unresolved during the day, it continues scrutinizing and deliberating at night; in severe cases, one wakes up in the middle of the night unable to sleep. Hence, it is said that the manas of sentient beings has a constant scrutinizing and deliberating nature. For Arhats whose manas is already subdued, there are almost no thoughts in the mind; they hardly think about anything. The manas only occasionally deliberates, but not constantly; it cannot be called "constant" (heng). Therefore, whenever the manas deliberates upon dharmas, there are thoughts; the dharmas deliberated upon are the thoughts—they are what the manas thinks of (nian).
XIV. The Mental Factor of Volition of the Manas Determines the Discernment of the Eye Consciousness and Mental Consciousness
The eye consciousness sees form; what it sees is visible form (varna): blue, yellow, red, white, light, darkness, clouds, mist, haze, and space. Light is a material substance, composed of the four great elements, arising and ceasing moment by moment, changing—it is false and unreal.
The eye consciousness itself possesses the volition mental factor. After receiving the form dust, it discerns the form dust, then gives rise to the volition mental factor, deciding to act—whether to avoid it or look longer. The eye consciousness closely cooperates simultaneously with the manas and the mental consciousness. Without the manas's mental factors of attention and volition, there would be no arising and discernment of the eye consciousness and mental consciousness, and thus no operation of the five universally associated mental factors of the eye consciousness and mental consciousness. The eye consciousness sees form; the seventh consciousness cannot see form. The mental consciousness analyzes, reasons, and judges; the seventh consciousness cannot reason or analyze. Consciousness has the nature of discrimination, discernment, and recognition; only then is it called consciousness (vijnana). Otherwise, it is not called consciousness. All seven consciousnesses have the nature of discernment, discrimination, and recognition.
XV. Does the Manas Have Judgment Power?
With wisdom comes judgment power; with deliberation comes the result of deliberation. The manas certainly has judgment power; deliberation is judgment. Because the manas is the sovereign consciousness, governing the entire operation of the five aggregates body. Without judgment power, it could not govern the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the five aggregates body; then it could not be the sovereign consciousness. So who would be sovereign? The judgment power of the manas is indispensable; it's only a matter of whether the judgment power is great or small, and whether it is accurate or not.
The judgment power of the manas has these differences: on which dharmas is its judgment power great, on which is it small; when is its judgment power great and accurate, when is it small and less accurate; in what situations does it rely on the discernment of the six consciousnesses to judge, in what situations can it judge without relying on the discernment of the six consciousnesses. On dharmas the manas clearly discerns, its judgment power is great, because clear discernment facilitates judgment, enabling fast and accurate judgment. If the manas does not discern clearly, it cannot judge, or cannot judge quickly and accurately. Regarding dharmas it cannot comprehend, the manas either hesitates or judges inaccurately. Thus, the decisions made by the manas are blind and erroneous. If the manas's choice is wrong, the execution by the six consciousnesses will be wrong.
But we can observe: in worldly dharmas, are the choices of sentient beings all wrong and blind? Obviously not; there are also many times when they are correct and flawless; probably most of the time they are reasonable. This shows that the manas has judgment power, and its judgment power is not small. Situations where it cannot judge exist; situations of hesitation exist; situations of misjudgment also exist. This is related to the manas's own wisdom and its power of firm conviction (adhimoksa).
The manas's judgment, on one hand, directly judges based on dharmas. The more familiar the dharma is to the manas, the more experience it has with it, the easier it is to judge alone. The more important and critical the dharma, the easier it is to judge alone and quickly. Afterwards, it makes a choice, the six consciousnesses arise and then act. If the manas cannot firmly comprehend the contacted realm dharma, it cannot make a quick and accurate judgment. On the other hand, the manas discerns coarsely; to discern finely, it must rely on the discernment of the six consciousnesses, rely on the mental consciousness's thinking, analysis, research, reasoning, and judgment. Then, based on the information transmitted by the six consciousnesses, it makes its own separate deliberation and judgment, and the six consciousnesses arise to execute. If the manas cannot firmly comprehend the content discerned by the six consciousnesses, cannot firmly comprehend the content thought, analyzed, understood, and judged by the mental consciousness, it also cannot make judgments and choices, or its judgments and choices are wrong, and the six consciousnesses then execute wrongly.
XVI. The Powerful Choosing Nature of the Manas
The volition mental factor function of the manas is very powerful. It exercises sovereignty and makes choices regarding all dharmas; it has a deliberative nature regarding all dharmas and must weigh them. Its sovereign and choosing functions are powerful; no other consciousness can replace it. When the manas, through the mental consciousness, contacts the Buddha Dharma and is firmly influenced by it, it can have Buddha Dharma constantly in mind, develop the habit of practice, and form a karmic habit of cultivation. To the extent that even during sleep, it is still deliberating. Because it cannot deliberate on very detailed and specific content, it creates dreams, letting the mental consciousness participate together in the dream. After being influenced by the Buddha Dharma, the manas may abandon some other worldly dharmas, considering them unimportant or improper and should be discarded. It then ceases to deliberate on or discern unimportant dharmas. Consequently, in dreams, apart from the Buddha Dharma it focuses on, no other matters appear.
Forgetting and remembering by the mental consciousness occur due to the selectivity of the manas. Matters the manas considers important, it constantly grasps and keeps in mind; matters it considers unimportant or bad, it ceases to grasp and keep in mind. If the sense faculty and object do not contact, the mental consciousness does not arise; it does not discern matters the manas is not interested in. It can recall and remember matters the manas is interested in and considers important. This is the principle of memory and forgetting. Therefore, no dharma discerned by the mental consciousness fails to undergo the manas's grasping and discernment; none is not "thought of" (nian) by the manas. If the manas does not think of (nian) it or impel it, the mental consciousness does not arise and does not discern. After the manas first discerns a dharma dust, if it is not interested, the mental consciousness cannot arise; thus, one does not know this dharma dust, and dreams about this matter certainly cannot appear.
XVII. The Wiser the Manas, the More Correct Its Deliberation and Choice
When the manas discerns specific realms of the six dusts, its wisdom is relatively inferior; it cannot discriminate what the specific realms of the six dusts are, nor know good, bad, beautiful, ugly, coarse, fine, high, low, big, small, because it grasps too extensively, its energy insufficient, thus it cannot discriminate clearly or finely. However, the manas itself also has a deliberative nature and the perception mental factor (samjna); its deliberative discernment function is also powerful. Relying on its deliberative nature, it can make choices regarding all dharmas, and it deliberates and chooses moment by moment, not missing a single dharma. Since beginningless kalpas, the manas has deliberated correctly, correctly chosen many people, events, and principles, avoiding countless errors and disasters; its merit is undeniable.
Many people, especially wise ones, have moments when the choices of their manas are correct and flawless. Some also display high wisdom. These manifestations of wisdom are the results of the manas's correct deliberation and choice. If the manas could not deliberate and choose correctly, if every choice were wrong and inferior, then every sentient being would be foolish and lacking wisdom, unable to attain wisdom in the future, even unable to transform consciousness into wisdom. In fact, whether in worldly dharmas or in the practice of Buddha Dharma, many people indeed possess wisdom, indicating that the deliberation and choices of their manas are correct, flawless, and wise. Especially after severing afflictions and transforming consciousness into wisdom, the wisdom, deliberation, and choice of the manas are even more inconceivable.
